


Infection of the Heart

by StakeTheHeart



Category: Victorious
Genre: F/F, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-20 23:32:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3669264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StakeTheHeart/pseuds/StakeTheHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The plague that has taken over has no name. It appeared out of the blue and covered the world like a black cloud of death. There are only a few survivors, including us, but for how long? There didn't seem to be any hope left besides my own personal ray of sunshine, but if she thinks things can get better, then I believe it can too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

_It seemed like just another boring day at Hollywood Arts, one filled with projects and assignments on various subjects. We were all gathered together in Sikowitz's class. I was in the middle of watching Vega and Beck's perpetual half-ass act on stage with disinterest. I had no patience for it. I was seconds away from just getting up and walking out so I said, what the hell? I might as well just get out of here. I stood and scooped up my bag then walked straight out the door, hearing Vega question my actions. I could detect the concern in her voice and it made me cringe internally. Contrary to popular belief, we agreed to a friendship no one but us knew about. To everyone else we were still frenemies, but behind closed doors it was just us. We talked and spent time together. She wasn't so bad, I guess. Which was why I couldn't stand her anywhere near Beck. I wasn't sure if I was jealous or not but I didn't care to find out._

_That was the reason I was currently wandering the hall now. I flipped out my scissors as I went, twirling them around my fingers as I tried to keep my mind away from my current predicament. I let out a sigh and looked up from the floor just as I crashed into some idiot who had the gall to stand in my way. I scowled and shot daggers at him, ready to tell him off and maybe scare him away as he pissed himself, but my hatred filled words fell short when I got a good look at him. I wasn't one to care what was wrong with people, but this dude looked like shit. I saw him around school once in a while and noticed he had caught something because his health seemed to be on the decline. That was nothing compared to what he looked like now. He appeared ten times worse. He actually resembled a dead body walking. He explained on that day he returned to class that he had been walking home when a dog bit him and he must have contracted something serious from it because his condition was only getting worse by the looks of it._

_"Hey, um, dude, you ok?" I questioned him skeptically. Personally, I didn't think he should even be allowed in school. He let out a pained groan and then looked at me with dull eyes that were slightly glazed. He reached out and latched onto my leather jacket. I tried to pull away but his grip was strong despite his sickly appearance._

_"It wasn't a dog. It wasn't a dog…" he mumbled, shaking his head._

_"What?" I spat, still trying to pry him loose. His skin was ice cold and felt odd, lifeless. The vibes I was getting from him was sending me crazy warning signals. All I knew was, I had to get the fuck out of there._

_"It wasn't a dog that bit me. I was afraid. So afraid. I didn't want to say…it looked human," he muttered disjointedly. My eyes widened at that and I opened my mouth to tell him to let me go but he suddenly began to laugh cruelly. It was borderline psychotic._

_"I'm not crazy. It looked human, but with sharp teeth and glowing eyes. I swear! It attacked me!" he ranted, his eyes wild now as he shook me in his grasp. I didn't think twice and lashed at his arm with my scissors. Fight or flight struck and I sided with one effortlessly. I didn't hesitate. He howled in pain and jumped back so quick that I lost my balance. I scrambled to my feet to see his arm ooze dark red, almost black, blood and then seal back up._

_"What the fuck?" I gasped in shock, backing away from him. My instincts went haywire, warning me of the very real danger baring down on me. A rumbling growl spilled from his mouth, making my body quake fearfully. His eyes snapped open and I watched as his green irises began to glow eerily. His lips lifted in a snarl to show sharp double canines with a pointed set on the bottom too, matching up like jagged puzzle pieces. He stalked toward me and I wasted no time bolting back to the classroom to warn the others. My heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to have a fucking heart attack. I couldn't help but panic, hoping no one was hurt._ _A terrified scream alerted me and urged my legs faster. I tossed my bag aside in frustration so that I could speed up. I skid into the hall with Sikowitz's classroom to see Cat fall out of the room. I ran over and hauled her off the floor then looked in to see the classroom in chaos. Two other kids that I knew to be in our class, but had stayed out sick, were now here. They looked just like the guy I ran into only minutes ago. The class was in a rush to get out both doors as the ill looking students tried to catch them. The details and bloodshed when they did had me clinging to Cat for support, which wasn't much because she was shaking so bad she might just collapse._

_"Where are the others?" I demanded of her, needing answers._

_"T-the o-other door. We g-got separated," she cried, tears running freely now. I sucked up my own fear to comfort Cat and find our friends. They might have been a pain in the ass but I knew I couldn't handle it if I lost them. They were all I had and the only people I truly cared about. I gripped Cat's hand and ran back down the hall to take the stairs and the detour to the hall the other door let out at. I ran almost blindly, dodging the hectic hallways that were in the middle of evacuating. I held onto Cat for dear life as I turned the next corner and slammed into a slim form. We all tumbled to the ground and I panicked until I saw who it was._

_"Vega! Where are the others?!" I shouted over the commotion going on around us. Her expression looked tortured and tears streamed down her face._

_"I-I lost them! We had to s-split up when we were ambushed d-down the hall!" she exclaimed, pointing behind her._

_"Shit! Vega! Vega, listen to me!" I yelled at her, yanking her off the floor after I got to my feet. I grabbed her by the chin so that her lost and fearful gaze would stay on mine._

_"Take Cat and get the hell out of here. Do whatever you have to but just get out. I'll find the others," I told her, pulling Cat forward to place her hand in Vega's trembling fingers. I gripped both their hands in mine, hoping it wouldn't be the last I saw of them._

_"Please, Tori," I pleaded. Her gaze suddenly hardened and she nodded, her grip on Cat tightening under my hand._

_"Stay safe," I stated, turning away to run down the hall she mentioned. I was yanked back before I could even take a few steps._

_"Jade, wait," she called to me, voice wavering but still stronger than before. I stopped to look back at her, and that's when she pulled me forward by the front of my shirt and molded her lips to mine. I could feel the passion and sincere emotion running through her, giving me a jolt that felt similar. She held me there a few second more before pulling away, leaving us both panting._

_"What…" I tried to say but she just shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes again._

_"I've always felt this way for you, Jade. I was just making sure I could at least kiss you in case we don't…just be careful," she stammered fearfully. I handed her my scissors and squeezed her fingers around them. They were my favorite pair, purple ones I had taken from her room. She made a fuss about stealing them but she eventually let me keep them._

_"Don't hesitate," I advised stoically. She only nodded and then she was gone, rushing Cat and herself to safety. I slipped out another pair of scissors from my boot and then darted down the hall, pushing through people and dodging the clawing hands trying to get a hold of me. I batted them away with the large scissors in my hand, the pair Cat gave me for Christmas from The Scissoring. The hallway led me out to the Asphalt Café where students and teachers were making a mad dash for their cars. I watched in horror as they were picked off one by one. Some I knew and some I didn't. I hadn't spotted the rest of the gang as I ran for the parking lot until I was pushed aside by the older Vega._

_"Hey!" I screamed at her. She turned back to look at me and it was then I saw that Beck was with her, staying close by holding her hand._

_"Where's Andre and Robbie?" I asked them hastily._

_"Jade? Oh God, you're alive!" Beck shouted, dropping Trina's hand to grab me in a tight hug of relief. We broke up for the sole reason that he felt more like the brother I never had instead of a boyfriend. I pushed him off me and repeated my question._

_"I don't know. We were split up-" he began to answer, but the angry sound I made cut him off._

_"Fuck! What is up with you guys not staying together?!" I screamed at him._

_"Jade, calm down. Maybe it's best if we just get out of here and call everyone up afterwards," he suggested, setting his hands on my shoulders. I was conflicted but decided to agree with him. After all, we shouldn't be here any longer than we had to. We continued to run for the parking and I noticed that Vega's car was gone. Hopefully she made it. Trina ran for her own car and Beck followed her._

_"Wait, what about your truck?" I asked him._

_"Totaled. It looked like something really heavy fell on it," he responded. I was confused by his answer but threw it aside, unconcerned._

_"Meet at my place and try to get a hold of the others to spread the word. I have the basement entertainment room we can use should things get crazier," I told him. He nodded and jumped in the driver's side. I noticed Trina crying her eyes out in the passenger seat, her broken words revolving around her sister. I didn't normally do seek to comfort people, but the world just went up in flames. So, I placed a hand on her shoulder through the rolled down window._

_"She's ok. I ran into her on the way out here and told her to get out. Make sure you call her and tell her to be at my house too. Stay safe you guys," I reassured her and then directed my last comment to both of them. Trina looked at me in a way I didn't understand but I had no more time to spare. I still had to get to my car._

_"Roll up those windows!" I commanded them as I ran across the parking lot to my car. Beck complied and then started up the car. I dodged a wayward attacker and stabbed another in the side as I charged through him. The thick blood stained my hands and made me nauseous but I kept running. I unlocked the car with a click of the button and yanked open the door to jump in. I slammed the door shut just as a body crashed into the window to snarl and claw in a primal manner. Sharp teeth snapped at me and streaked my window with bloody hands. The cracked glasses and bloodstained curly locks of Sinjin had me stomping on the gas so hard I took off without anymore time wasted. I sped home, avoiding traffic and back-ups where many crashes piled up. It was like a zombie apocalypse, but I had never seen zombies look like the infected students. I reached my house to see that everyone had made it as their cars were parked outside. I practically fell out of the car as I rushed to get out and barricade myself inside with the only people I cared about and who cared about me. As soon as I stepped in the door I was violently tackled to the floor. and held down by strong hands._

_"Oh, Jade. I'm sorry," Andre said as he let me go. I shoved him off me so that I could stand up and brush myself off, but soon, he had me locked in a hug._

_"I'm glad you're ok," he told me. I nodded and patted his back._

_"I'm glad you're ok too," I mumbled. He released me and I turned to see the gang in various forms of disarray spread out in the large living room. They all looked worn out and dirty, but as far as I could see I was the only one bloody. My eyes strayed to Tori who was curled up by her sister. I sighed and walked over to stand by her. She looked up and gasped at my appearance then shot to her feet._

_"Jade! Are you hurt?" she asked me, taking in my appearance. I shook my head._

_"I'm fine. I just had to force a few back to get out of there alive," I answered her. She held back a sob and then ran into my arms. I held her, rubbing her back. I eventually guided her to the floor where she curled up at my side._

_"What are we going to do?" I asked the room at large._

_"Well, we all tried getting a hold of our parents but it was no use. I think we're on our own now," Andre spoke up grimly._

_"Shit," I mumbled to myself. My arms tightened on Tori. What the fuck were we going to do now? I had no clue. I was lost. For once I didn't have a well thought out brilliant plan. All I could come up with was to just simply survive._

Who knew that in just five years life would be wiped out and turned into a sordid collapse of all humanity? I didn't, that's for sure, and now we were all scrounging on scraps trying to survive. I always remembered that day clearly like it was yesterday. How could I not? It was so vividly imprinted in my mind, a memory I would **never** forget. It was the start of the end of the world as we knew it and I still couldn't cope with the outcome that humanity was done. There I was worried about my senior year, finding out which college I wanted to attend, getting a job, figuring out my feelings for a certain girl. I thought that was all I had to worry about until the world fucking blew up in all our faces. We shouldered on though. Our gang was a well-rounded group of individuals who each had something to attribute to our survival. We naturally worked well together and our close knit family dynamic never failed in any situation. It only made us stronger as a whole.

I remembered camping out for as long as we could at my place before we had to strike out and find new and better shelter. It was amazing, the change that occurred while we were holed up in our temporary shelter. There were a few trying to fight the unknown threat but it was clear we were losing. After two years of running, hiding, scavenging, rinse and repeat, we learned that the fucking scientists and their damn need to mess with nature screwed us over once again. Just as they had done in countless movies that they never seemed to learn from, they decided to try and make a medicine that would cure all diseases. Needless to say it didn't go well. It took on a different nature and mutated, turning into a disease itself. They tried to keep it contained but it was highly contagious. It flowed in the blood of the contaminated. Skin contact with the thick blood had a fifty percent chance of contracting the disease if it wasn't removed immediately.

If introduced through getting bitten by the infected or if their blood got in a cut or any other opening in the body, then it would begin to take over instantly. The victim had a week at most, three days at the least. I counted myself lucky that first day I was smeared with blood. I hope I was immune instead of just lucky, like Alice in the Resident Evil movies. I wanted to use it against the infestation that plagued us, but I doubted I was anything close to that. It hadn't affected me in any way and that was all that really mattered. As we traveled from place to place we became hardened fighters. We managed to get a hold of guns and weapons. Video games actually came in handy at that were on our own and needed everything we could get our hands on to survive. The few humans we met kept to themselves and were too afraid to band together since our bigger group would be an easy target and harder to defend. Humans could be such cowards.

Did they not want to fight for their very world? I guess not. Fucking idiots. I sighed tiredly and closed the journal I had taken to writing in since the ending of the first week of survival. Tori found it in my room. It was a journal I neglected but I started writing in it again to keep myself sane. Tori…I cared for her so much I willingly put my life on the line for her countless times without hesitation. In our rare moments of calm we joked and teased each other, just trying to keep ourselves from falling prey to crumbling mental facilities as well as physical illnesses that were still very much a threat on top of the main contagion. In times when we were granted a reprieve I never took for granted any of my friends turned family. Especially Tori. She seemed demure but was actually really rebellious and strong, something I admired. Our simple yet loving touches and careful kisses were exchanged sparingly. It hurt me greatly to think I could lose her, or any of them, but it was an inevitable danger we all faced.

It was too much of a possibility that it couldn't be ignored. I dropped the ragged and worn out leather bound journal to the dusty ground at my feet and placed my head in my hands. I pressed on my eyes to keep back the burning tears that would be obvious on my slightly dirt streaked features. I never cried much in the past, but I found myself tearing up at many things now. Every day was emotionally and physically draining. I let my hands slide off my face so that I could stare blankly at the ground. We were currently holed up in a little nook that had been created when the building it was housed in had collapsed. The more closed off the area, the better chance we had of keeping the stalking creatures that hunted us at bay. Less entrances and exits to watch. With the five years that passed there came to be two kinds of creatures. Those who were well fed and those who were starving skeletons of their former selves. They were crazed and more deadly despite their weakened state.

They stopped at nothing and were little more than mindless husks while the others were more intelligent and strategized to a certain degree. They could be outsmarted a little more easily than the husks. It was harder to outsmart the ones that didn't think past just getting something to feed on because they blindly attacked. Shifting gravel alerted me to someone behind me. I jumped from my seat, spun around, and raised the makeshift weapon I had made. Scissor blades on a pole turned out to be very useful. I lowered the weapon when I saw that it was just Tori. She raised her hands, a small smirk on her lips. She hadn't flinched at all like the first few times I was jumpy around her. She had toughened up and became so serious that often times I missed that bright Tori from so long ago, the goofy one who made me roll my eyes but love it all the same. She only revealed that side on rare occasions now. The gang as a whole lost that lively flare we all shared. There was just no desire for it anymore. Everything was in shreds. I wiped at my face to make sure tears hadn't fallen yet and then cleared my throat.

"Hey," I greeted her gruffly. She cocked a hip and looked at me thoughtfully, her eyes briefly settling on my journal, and then returning to me. She sighed and walked forward to embrace me. Her toned body pressed to my equally muscled frame, her warmth permeating me more than skin deep. We were all so scarred yet we retained that capacity to love and look out for one another.

"Hey, you. How are you?" she whispered, pulling back to brush her fingers over my cheek.

"I'm as good as I can be," I answered dully.

"How's the journal coming along? Do we need to get more papers to shove in there?" she asked me teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. I had gotten to the end a number of times but I constantly stuffed it with new entries regardless. I chuckled quietly and raised a hand to guide her mouth to mine. I pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then rested my forehead on hers.

"It's fine. Nothing but pointless musings on surviving this hell hole," I responded solemnly.

"Don't talk like that," she scolded, punching my arm.

"Hey," I grumbled, rubbing the offended appendage.

"We'll find a bigger group who wants to fight. Then we'll work together to make a more supportive and permanent shelter where we can live while we take back our world," she told me, confident as ever. I only sighed and pulled away to cross my arms.

"I find that hard to believe as each day passes," I confessed. She stepped closer to wrap her arms around my waist and rest her head on my shoulder.

"I know, but we have to believe in something. We can't give up hope," she reminded me. I nodded and pulled away again to clip my journal were it belonged on my belt then slide my makeshift weapon in the strap on my back.

"Come on. I know you went looking for me to bring me back from brooding," I told her, holding out my hand for her to take. She smiled wearily and took it.

"You know me too well," she commented, slightly playful.

"Yeah, it's definitely not because you've been dragging my sorry ass back to camp so that I'm not alone like I usually am every time I wander off," I pointed out, a wry smile gracing my features. Tori laughed and stopped to face me, poised to lean against a dusty steel pillar jutting from the ground and holding up the rubble above us. She remained holding my hand but took hold of the other too.

"It's definitely not that," she agreed, playing along. She always responded positively to my attempts at sarcastic humor which reminded her of my old self. I knew she missed how I used to be too even though I had a proclivity to be a grade A gank. She still liked me for who I was. I regret that it took the end of the world for us to get together. My troubled thoughts returned to the present when she silently coaxed me closer to her. Her hands splayed across my stomach and then ran around to grip my waist and tug me even closer. Our noses were touching, my body almost wrapped around her with the way I stepped closer, her left leg between my legs and mine between hers. I dipped down to capture her lips in a heated kiss. I poured my heart out to her, my hands gripping at her hips while hers drifted up to bury in my now short hair. She pressed her lower half into me and I moaned appreciatively into her mouth, her tongue sweeping in to caress mine. I rocked back into her, feeling the molten need burn to life within me. We were never able to take anything farther than once when our confession of love while camping out in an abandoned apartment building found us wrapped in a carnal embrace.

We found a suitable enough bed to continue, and soon, our current situation was irrelevant for the time being. We gave each other our hearts that night. That was three years ago, and now was the closest we had gotten to that night since then. I wasn't going to waste it. Not when death was always waiting around the corner. I pressed her back into the pillar, my tongue taking over to explore her mouth and then my lips traveled down her neck. I nipped at her skin softly while my hips rolled into her steadily. She held back a whimper as her body arched into me and her head tilted back to give me more room. I began to move at a faster pace and groaned my love for her in her ear. Her tight grip on my hair tugged only slightly when she hit her release. She whispered my name and pressed her thigh into me, making me buck into her and follow her over the edge after hearing her husky voice call my name and watch exultantly as she unraveled. I gathered her in my arms and kissed her once more before pulling back to look into her eyes. They were full of love, desire, and need sparking in the dilated depths. I smiled genuinely and held her to me for a little while then let her go so we could untangle our bodies. We headed back to camp hand in hand. When we got there only Cat and Trina sat at the fire.

"Hey, where are the others?" I asked as we approached to sit by them.

"Andre and Beck went to see how far Robbie went to pee. We told him to stay close if he was going alone but he didn't return so they went to look for him," Cat answered, concern clear in her tone. I had a bad feeling nagging at me, but it didn't bother me until both Beck and Andre ran over with wide eyes and panicked expressions.

"We have to get out of here. They found us," Beck gasped, skidding in the dirt when he came to an abrupt stop. Cat jumped to her feet.

"Where's Robbie?" she demanded. Andre's face fell and he held out a pair of cracked glasses stained with blood on the right lens. Cat gasped and held her hands over her mouth, tears falling down her face. Tori's brows creased in that way I knew signaled she wasn't far behind Cat. She may have toughened up considerably but she was still soft and caring Tori Vega under it all. Trina stood to place a hand on Cat's shoulder.

"I'm sorry we couldn't reach him in time," Andre mumbled, tone somber. Beck stomped his foot and then kicked at the dirt.

"Fuck!" he cried out. Dammit. I always thought Robbie was a pragmatic and insufferable know-it-all, but he was still a part of our family. It hurt to even think that he was gone. We allowed ourselves to mourn the loss for a moment before we had to get moving. The snarls of the approaching pack were too close for comfort. We buddied up. Tori was with me, Cat with Andre, and Beck with Trina. We headed out cautiously yet silently efficient. After a couple buildings separated us from our attackers we began scoping out a new shelter to hide in.

"We need to stock up on food. We're running low, remember?" Trina spoke up. She was shifting through our supplies that Cat carried as she wasn't much of a fighter both mentally as well as physically. We all sighed and kept that in mind as we kept our eyes peeled for anything useful. We spied a rundown store and entered on light feet. After scavenging what we could of the products we began to head back through the aisles to the entrance. We had passed a shelf that had collapsed almost completely. Despite its almost solid looking appearance I could still clearly see through a gap in passing. The pasty features of the very demons we faced stared back, baleful glowing eyes intent. My heart skipped a beat before I was jumping into action.

"Move!" I screamed, startling the others into motion. We all started running and cleared the area just as the hidden infected burst through the shelf in an attempt to catch us. I viewed them as a type of vampire, but sun only irritated them at most. I had seen them feed on blood when it all started, but as time passed, they began to feed on flesh. They were just plain demons of death and destruction now. They had no weakness, but beheading worked well enough and fire scared them away. Despite that, they always regrouped and came back with more so that was nothing more than a distraction. The main goal of killing them was to cause so much damage that they couldn't heal in time before their body ran dry of blood and then died.

It was the disease pumping through their veins that kept them going, and if that ran out, they died. Which was why the ones that starved were so desperate. They only had so long to find food. Another one joined the first as they sprinted at us. The disease kept mutating as years passed, and in turn they grew stronger, faster. Their senses outstripped ours. It dampened my hope for victory, but I wouldn't go down without a fight. I hoped others besides us shared that mentality. I armed myself with my pistol and aimed for the head. My shot rang true and it fell, tumbling a little from momentum. The other sped up but Tori shot it down with precise accuracy. Three more quickly replaced them and I cursed.

"Hell, I think a whole pack knows we're here now," Andre commented dryly.

"Look, if we just keep our distance and knock them down before they catch up we can find somewhere to hide," Beck suggested. That option was getting harder to rely on with the ever increasing senses of our enemies. They were just too advanced to give them the slip, which was why we spent so much time trying not to gain any attention whatsoever.

"At this rate we'll keep attracting more if we're followed outside," Trina gasped. Andre unloaded his shotgun, splattering the head of a pursuer. I dodged a flying piece and glared at Andre who smiled apologetically.

"Watch how you shoot, you idiot. That shit is toxic!" I shouted at him in agitation. Tori suddenly grasped my arm and pointed ahead.

"There!" she exclaimed, showing us our escape over the side of the road. It led down into the small canal area. Below that had been created when a flood had taken place. It was our only hope at this point so we picked up the pace.


	2. Part 2

For some reason, the infected didn't like big bodies of water. It was something no one knew the reason for. Could they not swim or was it potentially fatal? But right now, I couldn't give a shit. Whatever the case was, they despised it and that was all that mattered. Cat and Andre reached the divider first, followed closely by Trina who stopped to wait for her sister. Beck stopped at the edge to cock his revolver and kill an infected that came at us from another direction. We were almost there when another tackled me, sending me to the unforgiving street where I struggled to get loose before it had a chance to bite me.

"Tori!" I heard Trina yelp. At the sound of Tori's name I wrestled the infected off me, kicked it away, buried a bullet in its head, and then turned in time to see Tori shoot down two more but get overcome by a third. I began to run towards her, getting there just as Trina attempted to use herself as a shield from the tearing claws of the infected bearing down on them. I pushed myself faster and shoved them both out of the way just in time. We rolled across the street and I popped up first only to be charge tackled by the furious infected. It caught me up and dragged me across the ground to slam me against the divider, sending us both tumbling over the side and down the incline to the waiting water below. My shirt rode up and so did my leather jacket, doing nothing to protect my body from the sharp rocks nicking skin all the way down. At one point in our descent it tried to climb back up and over me but only slipped down again.

In the tangle of limbs my side was gashed open. I cried out at the searing pain and grabbed at it instinctually, the movement effecting my tumble. It caused me to shift into a roll that brought me sideways and then I hit a rock that cracked at my arm, throwing me into a spin in the air and then straight down into the water. I was disoriented with enough pain to keep me from swimming immediately, but when I could, I pushed for the surface. I gasped in air and looked around for the infected which was flailing in the water without much success. The water seemed to suck it in like quicksand no matter how much it tried to stay afloat. Were they molecularly dense or something? I shook my head and wiped the water from my eyes before swimming for the small strip of shore. The rest of the gang slid down the incline to greet me with hugs and sounds of exclamation as well as reprimanding me for taking such risky actions.

"You could have died!" Tori screamed at me, smacking my injured arm. I flinched and held it, making Tori rush to apologize and check the purple bruise forming against my pale skin. Everyone cringed at the sight of it.

"Jade, you saved me. Thank you," Trina said, giving me a grateful smile.

"Well, you **were** going to sacrifice yourself for Tori. That's **my** job," I responded teasingly. Trina scoffed and crossed her arms while Tori hit me again on my uninjured arm this time.

"Plus, Tori needs her sister. You're all that's left of her family," I continued quietly. I knew Tori wouldn't want any of us sacrificing ourselves, but I also knew she understood my reasoning.

"We're all family here," Tori reminded me, yet gave me a loving smile. The others nodded, and soon, a group hug was in order. I let it carry on a minute before retaliating. I still wasn't a fan of hugging.

"Ok, so, enough with all the hugging and shit. Let's find some cover and eat something," I announced, avoiding a moment that could make me feel so loved yet easily vulnerable at the same time. I liked the feeling, but the vulnerability it caused had no place in this world of survival. The group agreed and Tori helped me cross the water so that we could reach the other side. We set up on a bigger expanse of land under the bridge just as the cloudy sky above gave off a crack of lightning and thunder followed by excessive rain. The downpour didn't let up all through the night, making it cold and hard to sleep even when we huddled together for warmth. If that wasn't enough, I was still uncomfortable for other painful reasons I had been too tired and lazy to fix.

The pressure of Beck at my back combined with laying on my side caused both injuries I received in the fall to pulse with pain. I gritted my teeth and powered through it to try and get some sleep but it was pointless to even try to ignore it. I clung to Tori who was cuddled in my arms, her warm breath wafting over my cold skin. Her presence made it better but it still wasn't enough. I shivered violently and tried harder to get to sleep but it wasn't working no matter how hard I tried. Nausea rolled in my stomach in warning and then I was up and kneeling over the water just in time to become violently ill. I dry heaved a few times afterward when there was nothing left to expel. When I moved to get up I noticed the tanned hand resting on my shoulder.

"Relax first. You ok?" Tori asked me, her concerned expression easily visible in the direct light of the moon. The sky thankfully cleared up by now.

"Yeah, I should be fine," I ground out, my throat sore from the acidic bile I had forced through it. She rubbed my back, the warmth of her hand burning my skin. I shivered and leaned back over the water as my body struggled again. She knelt there with me the rest of the night and even dragged me back in the morning when I felt too weak to move. I curled up on my uninjured side the minute she set me down. When the others woke I received _such_ a cheery greeting.

"Fuck, Jade. You look awful," Beck commented with a concerned frown, his brazen comment earning him a withering glare from me.

"Gee thanks, you asshole," I snapped back, irritated at the pain wracking my body. I gripped myself tighter, like I was trying to hold myself together, and let out a quiet groan of pain. Beck just shook his head with a small smile and patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"We're going to find something to eat. Stay here with Tori and keep your eyes peeled," he advised. I nodded the best I could and then closed my eyes, surrendering to the pain. I had no idea what happened next as I was too delirious to make any sense of it. Images and sound and agony was all I knew. I heard the voices of familiar people but had a hard time distinguishing them from each other. When I finally got a hold of my thoughts and gained my consciousness back I pushed off the floor to sit up.

"Lay down, Jade. Your fever is getting worse," Cat reprimanded. I looked over at her with blurry eyes and confusion.

"W-where's Tori? And the others, where are they?" I muttered disjointedly. She gently laid me back down and put something to my lips so I could drink. It was fresh and cleared my throat from the parched heat taking over me.

"They went to get more food," she answered me calmly.

"What? I thought Tori stayed with me and you guys got the food," I commented. Cat gave me a worried expression that made me question her further.

"That was two days ago," she whispered to me, her anxiety clear. I squeezed my eyes shut just as a chill swept over me. I shuddered and curled up again at the pain that returned to my body before it faded away just as suddenly as it appeared.

"Shit, I survive all this madness just to catch the fucking flu," I spat irately. I cried out suddenly at a pang of agony that left my heart skipping. Cat jumped at the sound and was too shocked to stop me from jumping to my feet and emptying my stomach again. When I opened my eyes I glared down at the mess, blood standing out against everything else. Or maybe it wasn't just some ordinary flu. I was dying. I had to be. This, whatever it was, was going to kill me.

"Jade?" Tori's voice called to me, making me jump. She took one look at the blood and inwardly became a panicked wreck. I could see it in her eyes, the intense worry for me, yet she remained calm outwardly. She led me back to my spot by the fire which made me uncomfortable. I pulled away from her and directed us towards a shady spot instead. It was only then I realized we had moved to a new shelter. Did they have to carry me while I was out of it that whole time?

"Sorry, but I'm heating up," I panted, tired from the short move.

"You're freezing though," Tori observed, taking my hand in hers after reclining me on a pillow of clothes. I saw the others looking at me anxiously but they turned away to avoid my gaze. They were scared. Hell, I was too.

"Tori…Shit. I really think I'm dying. I'm not going to…make it," I confessed, letting my thoughts out in a rare show of honesty. I was too frightened to do otherwise. Tears sprung to her eyes and she gripped my arms desperately.

"No, Jade! Don't talk like that!" she yelled at me, shaking me a little. I looked down at her hand gripping at my injured arm. She followed my gaze and then pulled away hastily.

"I'm sorry. I forgot you-" she began but I shut her up with a sound of protest.

"No, it doesn't hurt," I told her in awe.

"Oh, that's good. Less to worry about, right?" she replied unevenly. I growled in frustration, the sound making her look at me with wide eyes.

"Sorry. I just, I'm pretty sure I sprained it, or maybe even broke it. But it's all better now," I rephrased. She looked at the injured arm in speculation and then reached out to pull my sleeve up so that she could get a good look at it. It was completely healed, but even I could see my skin looked paler than normal.

"Jade…w-when I tended to the cuts…I saw the gashes on your side," she admitted, looking away from me while I pushed down my sleeve.

"Yeah, I must have hit a few rocks on the way down," I dismissed.

"That's the thing. I wanted to believe that too but…Jade, they didn't look like that. They didn't even look remotely normal. They were arranged in straight lines. They started out an angry red color when I first saw them. They turned a bruised purple after that, and recently they just look scarred over," she explained, still avoiding my eyes. I gripped her chin and forced her to look at me, knowing what she was implying. It all added up. I should have known, especially after seeing the effects and stages for so many years. We had all been in denial.

"Say it to my face," I choked out, tears clouding my vision.

"That thing must have had b-blood on its hands or in its nails when it cut you…y-you're infected," she forced past her lips, her tears falling before mine. I let her go to fall back against the rolled up clothes I used as a pillow. I would rather have died then suffered through this, putting myself and the others in pain. I snarled as my heart gave out a painful beat. It wouldn't be much longer now.

"Kill me," I stated resolutely. There was no other way. I reached down to feel for my pistol in its holster. However, I found nothing. Tori smiled sadly and shook her head.

"I figured I should take it from you way before you tried that," she told me, her tone heartbreaking.

"How long did you know?" I demanded quietly. She bowed her head.

"I didn't want to believe it, but I knew it was a possibility for some time now," she answered honestly.

"Shit!" I screamed, slamming my hand into the ground next to me. She flinched but didn't do anything else.

"It's already been three days. I'll either make it to a week or fully change in half that time which means we don't have any time left to fuck around. Put a damn bullet in me before I turn on you guys!" I pleaded with her, gripping at her vest with both hands. She let out a sob she had been holding back the whole time and placed her hands over my clenched fists. She shook her head, her tears landing on my face. They were warm compared to my cooling body.

"I can't do that, Jade," she whimpered through her tears. I stroked her cheek and then cupped her face to bring her closer and give her a simple peck on the lips.

"Then have your sister do it. We hated each other enough back in high school to want to kill each other. I'm sure she'll be able to do it now. Maybe she's been waiting for an opportunity," I joked half-heartedly. I chuckled once and then clutched at my stomach again. My heart slowed to a stop and then started back up sluggishly. My blood was growing thick and dark, the blood of the infected. I groaned, pushed her back, and then rolled onto my hands and knees to crawl away so that I could let my stomach force out more from me. It solely consisted of blood this time. I held a hand to my aching jaw, the sharp pain tearing deep into the bones.

"Dammit! Jade, Tori, we have to get moving!" I heard Beck warn us sharply. I deflected Tori's hands from helping me and got to my feet on my own while trying to balance on shaky legs.

"Give me my pistol. I won't try anything. I promise," I told her truthfully. She stared deep into my eyes before nodding and handing it to me. I made sure it was loaded and then motioned for her to go ahead of me. We hurried out and into the next building as quietly as possible. We picked a floor at the top where we barricade all entrances except for one which we made narrow. We had to get back out at some point, but at least this way we knew that there was only one way in. I made it all the way into the room with only a stumble on the stairs on the way up, but as soon as I got in our new shelter I fell to my knees and dropped the gun from my shaking hands. It fell to the floor with a heavy clunk that sounded awfully final. Ominous even.

"Is she going to be alright until we move? We can't be stuck in here if she-" Beck began hesitantly only for Andre to silence him.

"Beck, not now," he advised with caution. They sounded so broken and it took me some time to realize they were looking at me and Tori, both kneeling in front of each other, one a sobbing mess and the other just a plain mess. I deserved to die. To be put out of my misery. I was no good to anyone now. I hunched over as the pain and nausea swooped down on me again. I gagged on an object in my mouth and then spat it out onto my hand. It was a bloody tooth. I used my tongue to feel for a hole but the missing tooth was already filled in with a sharp fang. I dropped that tooth to spit out two more followed by another. There were eight fangs in all. Yay me, I had four more to go.

"Heh, this is like one of those twisted dreams where I lose my teeth," I chuckled darkly, letting two more teeth that fell loose as I talked roll off my open palm. I glanced up to see the gang looking back at me in a mix of fear, sorrow, and anxiety. I couldn't blame them. I was turning into a damn infected right before their eyes. I sucked in another painful breath and was surprised to find I could **smell** them. They each had their own unique scent, and it was making my mouth water. I swallowed the saliva and blood hastily before getting to my feet, spitting out the last two teeth over my shoulder. They tensed, but Tori remained on the floor. I swayed a little but took the necessary steps over to her. I pulled her to her feet and steadied her even though I was having trouble doing that on my own.

"Tori, get the hell out of here. If you can't kill me you need to get far away. I wouldn't forgive myself if I…" I tried to tell her, unable to finish. I held her by the shoulders for support. Whether that was for me or her I didn't know. I begged her with my eyes, trying hard to make her realize the danger she was in. Her head lifted and she looked at me with so much pained sadness in her tear coated brown gaze that it physically hurt me. I opened my mouth to apologize for the turn of events when I tensed significantly. My nostrils flared as the scent of death set me on edge. I growled and pushed her away then leaped for the ceiling where I pulled loose the breakable panels. I dragged out an infected and threw it to the floor. My jaw ached to sink my new teeth in flesh, punishing it for getting too close. I tried not to think too much about the inescapable need to feed when I forced it flat on the floor and held it down, fangs bared and a growl rumbling low in my throat.

It hissed back at me so I grabbed it by the neck with one hand and shoved my other in its mouth, using my now sharp nails to tear the tongue out. No one defied me, least of all that pathetic waste. I chucked the dismembered body part while it roared in agony, but then I silenced it with my teeth shredding into skin. I tore out its throat and chunks of flesh from within then drank as much of the thick blood as I could get. It stained my face and caused a primal triumph to settle over me. I felt powerful and free. My heart gave one last lazy pump and then fell silent, my body following suit. I leaned over on my hands and knees, blacking out for a few seconds, before opening my eyes again. My vision sharped, cutting through the darkness surrounding me. I stood on steady feet, breathing heavily, to take in the human scents not too far away. I licked my lips and then turned to my prey which smelled so much better than what I had eaten. That was inadequate compared to them. I snarled and took a few steps forward.

"Jade, stop," a lithe male warned, pointing a weapon at me. I focused on his spicy scent when I turned my attention to him. I took another step only for the muscled dark skinned male to raise a similar yet bigger weapon. He smelled earthy and softer compared to the other one. The small girl smelled sweet and the taller tanned one smelled like citrus. Fuck the consequences. I was starving and I wanted them all. I moved to advance again but a heady scent full of something intoxicating and arousing graced my senses. It wasn't so acceptable when the owner of such an enticing scent shoved me back. The others made fearful noises but I just hissed. I charged at her, slamming my arm into her stomach to send her flying on her back. I followed to hold her down, snapping inches from her pretty neck, dying to tear into it, but a crack echoed through the room, bringing searing pain. I snarled and pushed off her to clutch at my stomach where I had been wounded. The girl who took over my senses held a smoking weapon in her hand.

"Tori…you shot her!" the sweet smelling girl squealed in surprise, clearly upset and appalled. I looked down at the wound but it had already healed. I sneered at her before darting for the small exit, escape waiting beyond that.

"Jade, wait! Don't let her get away!"

"Tori, no! Let her go!"

"I can help her!"

The voices echoed through the building and grated on my senses. I growled my annoyance and leaped for the hole I spotted that led out to freedom. I could sense the air outside. It was so close. I shot through the opening and slid to a halt on the other side. I glanced back only briefly before making my escape. I was sure to find easier prey outside, and then I would be back.

**~Tori~**

I stared at the single entrance we made with a blank gaze. She was gone. Jade got away, and because she was no longer the Jade I knew, she wouldn't be coming back. She didn't know me, or care for me, or love me anymore. I held back my tears and clenched my hands into tight fists. My eyes fell on Jade's pistol and I scooped it off the floor. Andre wandered over to lay a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Tor, but…maybe it's for the best that she goes," he mumbled. I jerked away from him and wiped at my face to clear away the tears.

"No, it's best that she's gone for **you**. **I** won't let her go so easily. I'll get her back," I concluded, making sure Jade's gun was fully loaded before I set out on my own. I couldn't believe they wouldn't stand up for Jade. No one tried to stop me and I was glad. They knew I wouldn't have stopped anyway if Andre wasn't able to convince me. I made sure to cautiously search around the building we had taken shelter in once I was outside. I only found her journal which I stored in a side pocket of my cargo pants. The sun was setting and a brisk wind started up. I shivered but kept my back to solid objects as I scanned my surroundings. I had just ducked under a fallen streetlight when I was scared out of my wits by a hand suddenly gripping my shoulder. I bit my tongue to keep back the scream building in my throat and spun around to take aim.

"Whoa! Whoa! Tori, it's me!" Andre's voice rang out, his hands up in surrender. I sighed in relief and put down my weapon. I took a deep calming breath and then smacked his arm as hard as I could.

"Ow, what was that for?" he questioned. I glared at him and held back the urge to hit him again.

"You scared the fudge out of me! I was **this** close to shooting you!" I whispered harshly, raising my hand to show a small sliver of space between my index and thumb. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and shrugged.

"Sorry. I just, I thought it was pretty janked up…you know, that the others didn't follow you out. I swear, as soon as I realized what a jerk I was being for not standing by you and Jade I rushed out here to find you. Well, Beck changed his mind and wanted to come when he saw that I was going after you, but I told him it would be better to stay and watch over the girls. They…well, I guess I can understand if they don't want to risk it or if they're scared, but I'm here for you chica," he explained to me, his voice sincere yet sad. I nodded and took his hand in mine for support. He squeezed it comfortingly.

"Yeah. I can always count on you," I whispered. He smiled and then winked.

"Yep, always," he responded. His happy-go-skippy personality pulled a smile from me. I hugged him and then let go so that I could continue the search. It didn't surprise me when we ran into a little more than a handful of infected in the next twenty four hours before we caught up to her. It was pure luck but we stumbled across her discarded scissor bladed weapon that was twisted in half. We followed the trail of dead bodies to find a hole that burrowed through the street and under so that it resembled a tunnel. We crouched down behind cover to come up with a plan.

"Do you think she's in there? I mean, I know the girl is strong but what if that's somethin' else we're messing with and we have far more trouble on our hands because of it?" Andre remarked with trepidation. I shook my head and tightened my grip on Jade's pistol.

"If she isn't in there then she could still be in the area. M-maybe if we're in trouble…she might…maybe she…" I stammered, my voice tremulous with the mixture of fear and hope. I fell silent with a sullen sigh. He didn't tell me that it was doubtful or that he didn't believe what I suggested. He just looked at me a long time before his understanding features lightened. He nodded and patted my back before getting up from his crouch. I followed him up, and together, we advanced on the entrance to the makeshift cave. We were halfway there when a hulking infected clambered out with a dead body hanging from its massive hand. It was chewing on something that crunched frequently. I really didn't want to know what it was eating for fear I would get sick if I knew. I stood there frozen with fright as it advanced.

"Oh chiz, that thing is huge," Andre observed, scrambling back to try and run in the opposite direction. I moved to run too but the brute suddenly noticed us and took off with far more agility than I thought it was capable of. It roared and smacked us both to the ground, the abrasive surface scraping at my hands and knees. I rolled over and shot round after round into the beast but I kept missing fatal areas due to my shaking hands. It snarled in agitation and pounced, about to land on me, but seeming to move in slow motion. In mid-air, a black blur slammed into its side, driving it away so that they crashed into the ground. Snarls and blows were landed as the smaller of the two was tossed repeatedly but jumped back into the fray every time. They both fought to the death but the giant was the one to be overwhelmed. It tried to run when it realized it was no match but the smaller opponent tackled it to the ground again, decapitating the creature's head barehanded with ease. The figure jumped off the lifeless body, with bloody hands clenched, to turn back to us. I shivered unpleasantly at the face that held no emotion.

"Jade," I whimpered softly, drawing her attention to me. She growled and then took off running. I rushed to get my feet under me in order to chase her down. Andre began shooting, missing Jade every time. What the hell was he doing? She hissed angrily and went after him instead. He fought her off the best he could but she eventually had him doubled over on his knees with his neck now vulnerable to her awaiting fangs.

"No! Jade, stop!" I shouted at her, rushing over to stand between them. Jade sniffed at the air and then licked her lips in pleasure. I could see the hunger in her eyes, tearing me apart figuratively. It would soon be literal if I didn't do something. I took a defensive stance and held up the gun to aim at her. She snickered and walked up to me close enough that the barrel of the gun dug into her sternum slightly. Her cruel smirk told me she wasn't afraid so I held my finger over the trigger silently. She flicked her gaze down to the gun and then back to me. Her eyes glowed an eerie bluish green in the dark. She took another step towards me. She was challenging me, testing to see if I would shoot her. I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger without thinking about it because it hurt too much to know I was willingly going to hurt her. Again. The sound of the gun going off made me jump and then I opened my eyes to see what kind of damage I caused. However, there was no blood or body in sight. Did I not...?

"Holy crap!" Andre exclaimed, shocking me into reality and out of my thoughts. I spun around to see him struggling with an infected, but I couldn't help because Jade was right behind me. She smirked at me and then bared her teeth, ready to bite. I elbowed her in the stomach and then put distance between us. She crouched like a feral cat and readied herself to attack again. Andre successfully killed his surprise attacker and then went for Jade but she was on the move again. She was running too fast toward me to stop her so I screamed a battle cry and threw myself at her, bringing her down into the dusty street before she could do anything more. I didn't care if anything happened to me at this point. I just wanted Jade back, and nothing was going to stop me. We struggled shortly but she tossed me off and then turned on Andre who had gotten too close. In desperation I chucked a rock in her direction so that she turned away from him to snarl at me.

I immediately took off running and Andre caught on that I was using myself as a distraction because he didn't follow. Instead, he disappeared into the night to hopefully gather what we would need to catch her, leaving me with a very peeved Jade. I led her on a chase as long as I could, but my legs were slowly giving out with fatigue. I panted heavily but Jade continued to doggedly hunt me down. A particular falter over a small hole had me stumbling and Jade took advantage. She collided with my back and held me, stomach down, to the ground. I ignored her cold body on mine and concentrated on fighting her off. She effortlessly kept me pinned and I was beginning to panic. She leaned in to brush my neck with her sharp teeth and I squeezed my eyes closed in apprehension. The bite didn't come though because Andre's shotgun tore her off me when he slammed the stock into her side forcefully. I sat up quickly to see him smiling.

"Nice timing," I commented with a relieved exhale, gazing at Jade who was temporarily unable to get up. Andre nodded and helped me to my feet before we both crouched down to examine our catch.

"Let's get her out of here before more show up. We still need to find a way to keep her bound properly," I stated, reaching out to brush at Jade's cheek. She lashed out and tried to bite me but she was too weak to do more. I wondered if a few ribs had been broken and her body was too busy healing to do much else. Andre tossed me some wire that I held loosely in my hands. I glowered at him but he shrugged.

"I couldn't find anything else in time. That'll have to do until we get back," he told me. I didn't want to use such harsh material on her, but like he said, there was nothing else to use at the moment. I advanced on Jade who started to pick herself up. She cautioned me with a growl when I got close to her. Her head lifted to meet my eyes. I gulped but ran forward before I could chicken out. I threw her to the ground and forced her arms behind her back. Andre joined me to help hold her steady. Once we had her wrists bound we dragged her to her feet. She refused to help us by standing on her own so we had no choice but to drag her between us the whole way. Why did she have to be so stubborn? Jade was Jade no matter what form she was in it seemed. It made things difficult but also gave me hope. She was in there somewhere and I wouldn't stop until I had her back.


	3. Part 3

**~Tori~**

The journey was a long one since Jade didn't want to cooperate the whole way back. A plus side to having her with us was that the infected stayed away, warily pacing at a distance but no more closer than that. I wasn't sure if it was because of Jade, since she could have staked a strong claim on top while she was out here, or if they were simply following us to our destination. I hoped for the first. It was pitch black by the time we returned to the building we hoped the others were still taking shelter in.

"Are we seriously going to drag her up all those stairs? We literally carried her the whole way here. That's a trip we took a whole day to do yet we did it in several hours so that we weren't sitting ducks. I'm exhausted," Andre panted, looking at me tiredly. I was worn out too, but we couldn't give up now.

"It was your idea to go the whole way without setting up camp so don't complain now. Come on," I responded, my voice practically non-existent because I was too tired to speak much louder. Andre groaned but began the dragging process when I started us off again. My muscles were burning and revolting against me by the time we finished the first level of stairs. We had two more to go though. And, was it me, or was it getting really hot and humid? A glance at Andre revealed he didn't look too good either. I gave him an apologetic but hopefully encouraging smile but he just waved it away.

"I understand," he stated simply, shifting to get a better grip on Jade. I smiled, my determination rising, and continued the long climb with renewed strength. We rounded the corner of the top floor and onward to the end, eyeing the entrance happily. We could rest soon. I came to an abrupt stop when Beck slid from the shadows of a barricaded doorway to level his revolver at my face. I held my breath in shock and Jade grumbled unhappily. His steely glare softened when he realized it was only us.

"Tori. Andre. You made it back," he spoke in a mix of awe and relief. I rolled my eyes but smirked.

"What makes you think we wouldn't?" I shot back. He laughed and shook his head.

"Jade has too much of an influence on you," he mumbled, his tone a little morose as he lowered his gaze to her. She was on her knees between us, the wire cutting into her wrists. That was exactly why I didn't want wire. I didn't want to hurt her, but at least that kept her weakened enough that we could transport her. I allowed a small one sided smile at what I found to be a compliment and then reached down to haul Jade to her feet carefully. She stumbled but managed to stand, her fierce gaze locked on Beck. He took an uneasy step back to give her some needed space.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked us, looking from Andre to me and then back to Jade.

"I think Tori should have a chance to see if there's anything we can do," Andre spoke up certainly. I smiled gratefully at him and he returned it. I knew I always had Andre's support.

"Ok then, bring her in," Beck conceded with a nod and a gesture to follow him. He hesitantly turned away and began walking back to camp. We dragged Jade along behind him.

"Sorry for startling you by the way. I was searching the top floor for anymore infected so that we don't have an immediate attack again," Beck stated, referencing the infected that had hidden in the ceiling. I shuddered when I remembered the way Jade handled that situation.

"No prob. It's always safer to clear out the area anyway," Andre replied. Beck nodded absently and then stopped at the entrance so that we went in first. It took a little force to get Jade to keep going, but she couldn't fight back as much, so eventually we got her through. I crouched by her on the floor once we were inside. Andre came in and then Beck who stopped to prop a long table over the hole. They tied multiple cans to the uppermost legs, making it a suitable alarm should anything knock it over. We didn't usually set up time consuming gadgets around a temporary campsite, but since they stayed for us, they took the necessary steps to remain safe until we got back. It made me smile to know that they hadn't really abandoned us even though they didn't join us. Maybe they were just in shock at first? Whatever the reason, I was glad they waited for us to return.

"Yay! You guys are back!" Cat announced cheerfully, hopping up to grin at us. Trina only sighed but stood too.

"How can you be so stupid?" she muttered, giving me a disapproving shake of her head. My smile fell to be replaced with a disgruntled scowl.

"Trina, don't start," I warned her. She grunted in irritation and walked away to distance herself. Trina never liked the fact that Jade and I had gotten together in the first place. She couldn't see how it would work and claimed that she wasn't good for me. When she saw that we would be staying together no matter what she said, she stopped being so upfront about her dislike and accepted it to an extent for me. She didn't like it, but she saw how happy I was so she gave in. Now she was clearly up in arms again, but I wasn't backing down. I knew Jade was still there, deep down, and I was determined to find her. If I failed, then I couldn't go on. I couldn't live this way anymore without her. She was the main reason I fought this battle. Andre glared at Trina while he took a seat at the fire. Out of the group I knew I could always trust Andre. He was a constant source of support for me no matter what I did. Unless it concerned my safety. Then he was skeptical, but he always pulled through in the end. Beck leaned against the wall by the entrance, weapon at the ready, while Cat sat by Andre. She looked torn between concern and fear.

Poor Cat. Where Beck simply thought about what was best regardless of what was involved, Cat had a hard time choosing what to do. She ran on pure emotion, and when she felt she needed to help someone but knew it was wrong, it tore her to pieces. I sighed heavily and securely took a hold of Jade's upper arm. As soon as I made contact, she pulled away from me with a glare. The sudden movement made both Beck and Trina flinch. Andre only placed his hand over his shotgun which rested on his lap. I met his gaze and he nodded, encouraging me to keep going. I bit my bottom lip nervously before taking out a pair of wire cutters to cut away at the wire binding Jade's hands together. I handled her carefully so that I didn't come in contact with the dark blood dripping off her wrists. When the last of it was off, Andre was there with rope to replace it. I reached out to take it from him, using my other hand to keep Jade's hands in the same position. I hoped she didn't feel freed, but that hope didn't last long. She yanked away from my grasp and shouldered me out of the way so hard I was thrown to the ground. The force knocked the air out of me.

"Dammit," I cursed under my breath. I hoped this would work better than it turned out, but already it was proving difficult. The chaos that began around me was proof of that. I watched as Jade tried to escape again. She knocked the table aside with a swipe of her hand, forcing Beck to jump out of the way. Although he was almost crushed, Beck didn't let that stop him from shooting at Jade. The bullet buried in her leg. I sighed in relief that he hadn't aimed to kill her. The first shot didn't slow her down so he unloaded another in her right shoulder, which did. She faltered and lost her grip just as she was climbing through our only exit, falling back into the room to land on her side. I jumped to my feet, snatched the rope from Andre, and ran straight for her while she was down. I would cure Jade of this. I wouldn't stop until I did. Even if I was truly the only one who tried then that was how it would be. I wouldn't give up on the girl I loved, even if there was no hope of saving her.

**~Jade~**

The pain made my movements unsteady but I managed to roll over to get to my feet. I only made it to my hands and knees before a rope fell over my throat and tightened just enough to inflict pain. I was forced to the ground so that my hands could be tied as well as my legs. More followed to wrap around my arms up to my shoulders. I tried biting the offender but I could barely move. I strained against the bindings but it was tight enough to keep me immobile. I roared in malignant primal fury and struggled under the body sitting on me.

"Jade, please. Calm down," the soothing voice mumbled. I only tried harder, managing to buck her off so that I could roll over, but she landed on me again, straddling my body. Her neck was tantalizingly close in this position. I was enamored with her presence. Her scent was so intriguing and lured me in without fail. My nose skimmed the smooth skin under her jaw before she hastily put distance between us. I licked my lips and groaned when my stomach made a sound of protest. She seemed to look down on me with something other than hate before the others arrived to crowd around us. The spicy scented male yanked her away while the earthy scented male dragged me to the farthest side of the room to deposit me by the wall. I snapped at him uselessly but he just shook his head. I was so hungry. It was getting unbearable as time passed. The humans eventually sat down to eat. Meat of some kind was taken out. I moaned in longing when it began to cook. It wasn't really what I craved, but it came pretty damn close.

"She'll die if she doesn't eat," the voice I came to expect spoke to the others. Words unlocked within my thoughts when I heard her speak and I struggled to force them out of my mouth.

"P-please," I groaned, finally finding the word I wanted.

"Did she just…?" the citrus scented female questioned. The alluring one I held the most interest in stood to walk over to me.

"What did you say?" she inquired. I searched for more to say and found it with minor difficulty.

"Please. I'm hungry," I gasped, my stomach protesting once more, causing sharp pain. All I wanted was to mitigate the incessant hunger agitating me, and I would accomplish it any way I could. She looked conflicted as she glanced back to the group waiting with bated breath. She returned her gaze to me before getting something at the camp and bringing it over. It was a piece of the meat I smelled earlier. She held it in front of me and I eagerly prepared to snatch it from her. She watched curiously as she slowly brought it closer. I snapped at it, my sharp teeth cutting right through it to her surprise. I swallowed quickly and waited for more. The meat wasn't fresh and was from an animal, but it was better than nothing. Maybe I could get her hand the next time around. She seemed to see the determination to do harm in my eyes because she held the last bit of meat above my head and dropped it instead. I caught it in my waiting jaws effortlessly and looked back at her for more. When she stood to retreat from me I snarled at her.

"Seems she wants more," the small sweet scented female commented. The dark skinned male shook his head at her and then they fell into pensive silence. I only growled and tried to bite at my bindings. I could only reach the first two coils, but even when they fell away I still couldn't get loose. If only I had more to eat. Then I would be able to get out. I tried for hours but soon expended all my energy. I laid on my side now, facing the sleeping food just feet away. I swallowed the saliva gathering in my mouth and closed my eyes. I didn't open them until I felt that I was in motion. I was on my back now with my head in the corner. I gazed up into the eyes of the human I wanted more than anything. She was leaning over me to shield me from the others. I breathed in her scent and purred, my craving for her intensifying the longer I remained hungry. Words came to me easily with her around even though my thoughts didn't make much sense of them.

"You're nothing but a tease," I grumbled in frustration. She looked surprised for a second before a smile lit her face for some reason.

"You're still Jade underneath, aren't you?" she inquired, hesitantly touching my face with a slightly shaking hand. I nuzzled into it, my eyes fluttering closed to further focus on that heady scent. I licked her hand in an attempt to sneak a taste of her skin. The minute she felt my tongue run across her palm she pulled away with a gasp. Meanwhile, my mouth was watering again and my stomach rumbled. She returned my steady gaze with a frown and kept her hands to herself this time.

"Feed me," I demanded, showing off my fangs.

"You're in no position to ask for anything," she responded bluntly, her voice lacking something. I growled and tried to lunge at her, but I couldn't do much. She still flinched back.

"Feed me or I'll find a way to eat your companions and leave you for last," I threatened next, no longer putting up with being antagonized for so long. Whole sentences were forming effortlessly now. With her around I wanted to communicate. It wasn't just feelings and needs that ruled me. I could actually use the useless words I didn't want to use with anyone else. She sighed and held a hand to her face. She remained still for some time, but then she started pulling something out of a side pocket of her pants. It was a tool of some sort that utilized blades. I watched as she looked at me and then at the tool then at her arm. She brought the blade to her arm, closed her eyes, and then pressed into her tan supple skin. The smell of her blood spilling triggered a primal urge within me to tear and consume mercilessly. I groaned with impatience and strained against my bonds again. Her face showcased her pain but a hopeful smile tugged at the corner of her mouth despite that. I didn't understand the expression.

But if she was willing to give me what I wanted then I didn't care. I lifted up to get to her opened arm faster but she took her time bringing it to me. When she finally held it over my seeking mouth the blood graced my tongue with little more than a few drops at a time. I struggled again, desperate for more than what she was offering, and eventually tore my way out of the restraints enough to release my right arm. I snatched at her wrist and brought the cut to my mouth where I latched on, my tongue bathing in her ambrosial blood as it ran down my throat. She cringed at my tight grip but I held on relentlessly. I could drink her dry if I wanted. She tasted so good. My teeth grazed her soft skin, needing to spill more blood, but she yanked away before I could bite down. I snarled and tore my left arm loose to grab her before she could get away. I pulled her closer to me, my nose nuzzling at her neck where her scent clouded my senses. She tried pushing away but I held her steady.

"You taste so good, Tori," I moaned, my tongue sliding over the sensitive skin of her throat. She gulped in fear and I smirked. It fell the moment her hands cupped my face tenderly.

"Jade," she whimpered quietly. Somewhere within I felt like I knew her at that moment. I knew this Tori who smelled like life and something more. I didn't like it. My teeth graced her throat, ready to pierce and tear into her flesh. I let a warning growl rumble from my own throat when she struggled.

"Stay still and maybe I won't kill you," I whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes against the gathering tears. Seeing her so scared amused me, but it wasn't what I truly wanted. I retreated from her neck to look into her teary eyed gaze. Her expression triggered a different need as I yanked her closer, my lips melding with hers and my tongue dipping into her mouth with little preamble. The action struck me forcefully and raised my need for her tenfold. She responded to me ardently. It felt so good, but I pulled away.

"I need more," I mumbled against her lips, panting heavily. Her mouth met mine again as she sliced at her arm once more. I broke away from her to return to the wound with renewed vigor, taking her very life force from her greedily. I pulled away when she began to sway and use my body to stay upright. Her eyes were heavily lidded and I grinned wickedly at her weakened state. I prepared to sink my teeth into her arm when a foot connected with my jaw. I grunted, caught off guard, and then bared my teeth at the offender who happened to be the female heavy with that citrus scent. I clawed off the rest of my bindings and resolved to get my meal back, which was taken from me after I was assaulted. I was strong enough to take them on now. I would slaughter them all. I darted at the tall female but a strong force knocked me back, punching holes in my torso. I cried out and staggered to fall back into the wall where I slipped down until I was resting on the floor. The dark skinned male had turned his weapon on me. The sound of it going off with a bang woke the others as well as brought Tori back from the stupor she was in.

"No! Andre, stop! She comes around if she eats! We need to feed her!" she exclaimed hastily, rushing to stand but falling over again. The sweet smelling girl ran over to wrap up her sluggishly bleeding arm.

"Are you crazy? She might come around or she might just get stronger and smarter but nowhere close to the Jade we know. Then she could just waste us all!" he exclaimed, voice loud but unsteady.

"Yeah, but what more can we do? We know we don't have the strength to kill her so we have to save her!" she cried, tugging on his arm. He looked at her with sad eyes.

"She's gone! She's gone and you need to accept it!" he shouted at her. She shook her head and burst into sobs as she fell to her knees. I watched it all unfold with feelings that churned restlessly. I decided on one I didn't completely understand and fell forward on my hands and knees so that I could crawl to her. All weapons immediately pointed at me, stopping me in my tracks.

"Tori…" I gasped, unable to finish since my blood continued to run and sapped me of strength. My mind dimmed and I couldn't find words to communicate with anymore. I was regressing. I fell on my side but reached out for her, feeling a need to be close to her even though my stilted body was having trouble getting there. She shuffled forward despite protests and gripped my hand in hers. I locked eyes with her before everything faded to black. A moment seemed to pass before warm liquid met my lips, bringing me around again. I sensed the taste of blood and opened my mouth wider, gladly seeking more. The contents of the cup pressed to my lips gave off a different smell. Spicy. It wasn't as desirable. I had better. I pulled back and turned my face away from the offered blood.

"Come on, Jade. Do this for Tori. You almost bled her dry so we might as well pitch in to keep her from killing herself," a calm voice told me. I hated how it sounded like I was a child being chided. I snapped at him but he pulled away before I could do any damage.

"Where is she?" I demanded, pinning him with my scornful gaze. He shifted in discomfort and sat back on his heels.

"Resting and getting her strength back. We let you starve a few days while we decided on what to do with you. Tori was worried you would die so she kept feeding you whenever she got a chance. She almost killed herself trying to keep you from becoming a rotting corpse," he explained with a strict downturn of his lips.

"And you took over after she couldn't give anymore?" I guessed. He just nodded and set down the cup to press a hand to his bandaged arm. I remained quiet and looked away from him, disliking his presence.

"Seeing as you're back to talking instead of growls and snarls then you're well on your way to recovery. Tori thinks the more you eat the more you return to how you used to be, but if you run low you become feral. I have to admit I was skeptical, and I didn't want to feed an infected, but it really does look like it's working," he explained, a touch of interest to his tone.

"Yet I'm still restrained. Of course," I commented, tugging at the cuffs keeping me in a metal framed bed.

"I'm not going to put all my trust in you just yet. Your instincts are still wild enough to cause a problem," he told me. I inhaled his scent and felt the primal and unhindered desire to sink my teeth in his skin, to make his blood run out of animosity and proving his point.

"I want to see Tori," I commanded. He frowned at my impatient tone but left to retrieve her anyway. She entered the room with a tired smile and then leaned in to kiss me. I reacted automatically, my hands straining with a yearning to hold her to me, but I couldn't move. I groaned when she bit and tugged at my bottom lip before letting go to pull away. I bared my teeth and yanked at my restraints, unwilling to let her get too far.

"Why did you do that?" I asked her, hating how effortlessly she made me want to be everything she needed, everything I wasn't and couldn't be. I wasn't pleased with the strong reaction at all.

"To test and see if you were still in there," she answered casually.

"I only want you more," I confessed truthfully. She just smiled and leaned in again. This time my breath caught when I found that I enjoyed the contact with her. Her groan filled my ears and tore a growl in response from me. She pulled away to stare into my eyes and I was lost in hers.

"It isn't really you though, is it?" she whispered, closing her eyes and turning away from me. Her hands came up to cup my jaw a moment later and I tucked my nose into her palm to inhale her scent. I refrained from any attempt to taste her again. I didn't want her warm skin to leave mine.

"No. I guess I'm not who you want. I don't even know who I am," I answered her just as quietly. She sighed and then leaned in to kiss my neck tenderly. I returned the gesture while she was close. I licked the lingering taste of her off my lips after she pulled away.

"I'll be back to get you when we leave. I won't let them hurt you again," she confided. I laughed humorlessly and shook my head.

"Good luck with that. There's no use," I responded with a sneer, my stomach speaking up to remind her of my ever present and insatiable hunger. My eyes drifted to her arms which were bandaged up to the crease of her elbows.

"I'm still going to try," she retorted, her eyes blazing with determination. I smirked and reclined in the bed.

"You do that then. I'll be here," I told her, closing my eyes. She lingered a few seconds more, got up to kiss my forehead, and then left the room. I opened my eyes after she was gone and sighed tiredly. My body needed more to consume. I needed flesh just as much as I needed blood. Being pent up near fresh meat was doing nothing to keep my mind off killing my captors in order to feed. I didn't know them and I didn't care regardless of being told otherwise. They were just prey. But some small part of me insisted that they were more than that. I closed my eyes against the thoughts. I had nothing to do but wait. The more time that passed the more the hunger gnawed at me. I snarled in acute frustration and began pulling at my restraints. I lost track of time, so when someone walked in, I was too far gone to care who it was.

"Jade, listen to me. I'm going to let you go," a familiar voice informed me. It wavered with nerves and I could detect fear. It was palpable. I opened my eyes to see the female that tormented me with her scent. She slowly came closer to me and placed a hand on one cuff. I jerked away from her warm touch with a hiss. She flinched but continued to pull out a key which she used to release me.

"I never said the others were leaving with us. I just said I would be back to get you when we were leaving," she explained as she leaned over to reach the other cuff. As soon as it fell off I grabbed her by the front of her vest and pushed off the bed to slam her against the wall.

"What makes you think I want your help? You're fully capable of being my next kill and I would be happy to oblige. Why go anywhere when I can feast on you and all those helpless humans in the next room?" I purred, my mouth watering at the prospect.

"Please, let me help you," she pleaded, gripping my hands in hers.

"Why should I? I don't even want these thoughts and words to rule me. I want mindless hunting and feeding, but you won't give me that. I should kill you for holding me back. It would be bitter irony," I seethed, leaning in to brush my nose across her jaw. She tensed but continued to dissuade me.

"Jade, don't do this. I know you. The real you trapped somewhere in there. If you ever did find yourself and realized that I wasn't here, or that you were the one to kill me, you'd be in more pain than you are now. We've strengthened you. I'm sure you would be able to kill every infected out there at this point. The more you eat the more you gain back your humanity. I can guarantee it will be nothing but lonely agony and longing way worse than hunger. You'll want to starve and return to that frame of mind you like so much but you won't be able to because all you need, all you crave, is to slaughter and eat your fill. If you spare me now I can get you there without that pain. Please," she persuaded. Her voice of reason swayed me. I found myself loosening my hold on her. My teeth left her neck and I looked at her to show I would listen. She smiled in relief but gasped when the door was thrown open. My body went rigid with caution.

"Tori, I thought we could switch places since you've-hey, what the hell is going on here?" the dark skinned male exclaimed. He held up his weapon and took aim. I yanked her against me to use as a shield and snarled at him as I backed toward the window. I broke off the two boards covering it and shattered the grime coated glass.

"Don't follow," I warned him, and then leaped out the window. Tori clung to me desperately. I caught myself on a decrepit tree outside, snapping the branch with the sudden weight, but I was already jumping to the next branch then another until I landed gracefully on the dusty ground. The crack of a weapon echoed through the morning air, the projectile hitting the dirt at my feet soon after.

"Let's get going before the noise attracts more infected," she urged, grabbing my arm and dragging me away. As she predicted, three infected chased us down as soon as we were clear from the building. One fell after a shot to the head but another managed to catch up to us. I roared threateningly, tore apart another one, and sunk my claws in the one trying to take my kill. I threw it to the ground but it righted itself to face off with me. We circled each other before it jumped at me. I threw myself at it and easily sunk my teeth in its neck while it bit at my shoulder. I ignored the attack in order to force the challenger to the ground where I snapped its neck in the struggle and tore out its throat. With blood running off my chin, I turned to make sure my prey hadn't been taken while I was busy. She stared at me with wide eyes, her stance displaying obvious shock.

"You're mine," I explained simply yet forcefully, standing to walk over to her. I wiped the blood from my face once I stood in front of her. She blinked a few times and then walked away without a word. I followed, hoping to find something more enjoyable to feed on that wasn't her. Not yet at least. I couldn't say I didn't believe her, but something deep within told me it was prudent to listen to her right now. So I did. We walked on in no particular direction, my eyes never straying from her, until I caught something on the wind. I perked up, raising my nose to the air. My stomach grumbled in approval and I smirked.

"You found something?" she spoke up hesitantly.

"Or someone," I corrected, groaning in anticipation when the scent came to me again. I crouched and loped off across the street to hide behind a pile of rubble. She tagged along surprisingly quiet. I looked back at her questionably but she gestured for me to go ahead with a sad but encouraging smile. I stared at her a moment longer then darted from cover. The male I tracked down was busy digging through debris, so by the time he realized anything, I was already on him. He screamed and drew his weapon, firing into me twice before I broke his wrist and he dropped it. I snarled and knocked him down, my fangs already digging into his throat. I guzzled down the fresh blood that poured into my mouth. The thrill and blood lust blocked any coherent thoughts out completely as instinct took over. All I saw was red as I gorged, ripping away cloth to get to flesh while my teeth tore into any hunk of meat I could find.

My hands aided in slicing off strips of flesh and breaking bones to dig deeper. My movements were emphatic as I worked. The warm flesh and blood was amazing. It revitalized me but brought me crashing back into reality as soon as I had my fill. The scattered remains of what was once a human lay around me. The horror of what I'd done hit me with full force the more my head cleared of the hunger induced haze. I **ate** someone. The sound of someone vomiting not too far away alerted me to Tori who was wiping at her mouth by a pile of rubble. She stumbled over to fall on her knees just before the farthest splatter of gore. I stared at her, dejection and shame weighing on me until I was sobbing uncontrollably. My conscience was finally in working order and I remembered everything. It hurt too much to think about how I acted, the thoughts I had about my family, and what I was now. How long would the clarity last before I had to kill another innocent?

I hugged myself and hunched over, tears clearing tracks through the blood on my face. Tori was finally able to get back on her feet. She stood by me, carefully touching my shoulder to get my attention, and then lent me a hand. I took it and she pulled me up. I didn't want to look at her. I didn't want her to see me either, but she made me, using the tips of her fingers to push my chin up. She offered me a hopeful yet caring smile that told me I hadn't completely damaged the bond between us yet. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, and tell her how much I still loved her, how sorry I was, but I couldn't with the blood of the man I killed coating me from head to toe. She seemed to understand because she took my hand and led me to an area filled with holes of water. We sat down at the edge of one, and together, we washed away the blood as well as any hard feelings that had accumulated between us. Silence ruled between us until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Tori," I whispered from my spot on the other side of the hole. I distanced myself as soon as I could, disgusted with myself for all I had done. I remembered everything, and it was hard to accept. I needed retribution, not forgiveness, though I knew that was exactly what I would get from her.

"Yes?" she responded. I opened my mouth, shut it, reworded what I wanted to say in my head, and then tried again.

"You drove yourself to blood loss for me. How could you do that, you fucking idiot!" I screamed at her, smacking the water harshly so that it splashed into an arc between us. My voice started out quiet only to gain strength and anger at her actions. She ducked her head and shrugged.

"For you, I would bleed myself dry, Jade," she answered with so much underlying emotion. I bit my lip softly, mindful and fully aware of the sharp teeth that would cut into my skin, and then slowly sloshed through the water to pull her into a gentle embrace.

"God, I can't believe you-Tori, you're so stupid…" I muttered into her shoulder with a defeated sigh. Her scent teased my senses but I ignored it, all my attention on her and her alone. That overwhelming need to kill and feed was dormant for now.

"I love you, Jade," she whispered, her tone of voice further strengthening the statement. I held her tighter and she returned it in kind.

"I love you too, Tori. So much," I replied, kissing her jaw before nuzzling under her chin. We stood like that, soaking up the pure love we had for each other, and then parted to wind our way back towards the rest of our group. Hopefully, I wouldn't be shunned for everything I put them through. Along the way, Tori regaled me with ideas and plans she thought up after she worked out a possible cure based on what she realized while guiding me back to my humanity. It seemed to involve something about the body knowing what it needed, which was uninfected flesh and blood. If enough was consumed it reversed the process. It sounded morbid but it was hard to disprove with me as proof. She went on to say that we should gather as many survivors as we could and build a base shelter.

We needed a permanent defense. Once that was established we could start capturing a few infected to test the theory. If everything went well then we could continue the cycle until we overthrew the plague that had settled on the world. It sounded hopeful at best, and would take a very long time to accomplish, but Tori was adamant and positive it would work so I agreed with her. I would do anything to keep her happy. She smiled, that sunny smile I loved. I smirked back and pulled her close for a chaste kiss. It wasn't long, but I made sure she could feel how grateful I was for having her in my life as well as how much I truly loved her. Her grin seemed to grow and I knew without a doubt that she had. The future looked bleak, but I knew that as long as I had Tori, I would be fine.


End file.
